BBC Review

Now well into their twenties, Dundee's The View are back with their second album. Having shrugged off the oppressive hype of their early days, the presentation of this fresh, eclectic project says a lot for allowing bands time away from the perpetual money train to regain perspective and the inclination to use their imaginations.

Debut Hats Off To The Buskers debuted at number one in 2007 thanks to the success of the single Same Jeans, but the band's commercial performance subsequently dwindled as tends to be the case in a musical climate of hype and apathy. It is impossible upon listening to this album, to explain how repetitive, unimaginative material of the same ilk pumped out by the likes of Arctic Monkeys, remains beloved to its audience and the industry, while others who have not yet dredged bottom of their ideas pool fall by the wayside.

Former Oasis producer Owen Morris is back for his second outing with the band, and his touch is evident on the thumping drums of anthemic single 5 Rebbeccas, but in every other way this is an excitingly risky record with numerous interesting and well executed touches.

Temptation Dice has a brilliant 50's style hook, Realisation opens with wistful woodwind and One Off Pretender is pure pop, embellished with the type of sing-talking you'd expect to hear on a Robbie Williams album. Glass Smash begins with the chanting of a choir and develops into a brilliant 60s riff, and highlight, Distant Doubloon, would not be out of place in the theatre, with its dramatic, Cossack-sounding orchestra.

An unexpected surprise turns up in the form of Scottish crooner Paolo Nutini on Covers, which while not being the most exciting track on the album, it does give the chance to hear Paisley's answer to James Blunt singing in his own accent. His presence on the record is another hint that Kyle Falconer and his cohorts care less about image than realising the potential in their songs.

And realised it is. The band are tight, the ideas are of a quality that make every song a possible single, and importantly, they still seem to be enjoying themselves. Thank goodness this is one band who have dodged, or shunned the draining corporate mentality.

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